Umar Sadiq has done it again. The Nigerian striker once more propelled Valencia CF toward survival in the second half of the season. Last campaign, he arrived at Mestalla on loan from Real Sociedad, and his five goals proved decisive in a team revival led by Carlos Corberán. Back then, in late January 2025, Valencia was five points adrift of safety after 21 LaLiga matchdays. Now, as a permanent signing, his goals carry the same weight.
Sadiq’s header in the Cathedral allowed Valencia to reclaim calm in a tense fight for top-flight survival. With 42 points on the board, the team faces Thursday’s home fixture against Rayo Vallecano with the goal of securing another season in LaLiga. A win, depending on other results, could even put the last European spot—the UEFA Conference League—within reach. Currently held by José Bordalás’s Getafe CF, that position is just three points away.
A Wise Piece of Business
Back with the club since January, now permanently after a €5 million transfer, the African forward has gradually increased his rhythm. By late February, he had earned a starting spot ahead of Hugo Duro, and over the past month he has rediscovered his scoring touch. So much so that Sadiq is the top scorer among the more than 50 signings made by LaLiga’s 20 clubs during the winter window.
According to Pedro Martín, a statistician for Cadena Cope, the Valencia forward shares the lead with four goals alongside Getafe’s Uruguayan Martín Satriano, ahead of Argentine teammate Luis Vázquez (3), Sevilla’s Frenchman Neal Maupay (2), another Argentine at Valencia, Guido Rodríguez (2), and another Nigerian, Atlético Madrid’s high-profile signing Ademola Lookman (2).
Here is the list of top scorers among LaLiga winter signings:
– Umar Sadiq — Valencia CF: 4 goals | 3 assists | 17 matches | 847 minutes | 1 goal every 211 minutes
– Martín Satriano — Getafe CF: 4 goals | 1 assist | 16 matches | 1,427 minutes | 1 goal every 357 minutes
– Luis Vázquez — Getafe CF: 3 goals | 0 assists | 15 matches | 1,096 minutes | 1 goal every 365 minutes
– Neal Maupay — Sevilla FC: 2 goals | 1 assist | 9 matches | 721 minutes | 1 goal every 361 minutes
– Guido Rodríguez — Valencia CF: 2 goals | 0 assists | 13 matches | 1,038 minutes | 1 goal every 518 minutes
– Ademola Lookman — Atlético Madrid: 2 goals | 0 assists | 9 matches | 416 minutes | 1 goal every 208 minutes
The numbers show that Valencia’s No. 6 has once again become one of the winter market’s biggest hits. Besides leading the scoring chart, Sadiq also has three assists, directly contributing to seven goals for Carlos Corberán’s side. Guido Rodríguez, another winter arrival, also makes the list, further evidence of Valencia’s productive January business.
Getafe have also struck gold: the seven goals from South Americans Satriano—who was on Corberán’s radar—and Vázquez have lifted the Madrid side into a comfortable zone with European aspirations.
Same Scoring Rate as Ademola Lookman
Meanwhile, only Lookman, who has played just 400 league minutes for Cholo’s Atlético—a side heavily focused on the Champions League—boasts a better goals-per-minute ratio (208 minutes) than Sadiq’s 211. However, Lookman has scored three goals in the Champions League, totaling seven since his arrival in early February, which lowers his overall average to one goal every 242 minutes.
The significance of Sadiq’s contribution extends beyond mere goals; it lies in the timing and pressure of each strike.
